Mattress or cushion and spring unit therefor



May 15, 1934,. D, T, OWEN Er AL 1,958,798

MATTRESS OR CUSHION AND SPRING UNIT THEREFOR A Filed June 5, 1930 Patented May 15,1934

MATTRESS OR CUSHION AND SPRING UNIT THEREFOR David '11. Owen and` Charles Dietrich, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to TheOwen Automatic Spring Machinery Company, a corporation of Ohio Application June 5, 1930, Serial No. 459,377

' 4 claims. (C155-267) f An object of the invention is to provide an im-- proved spring construction ofthe type comprising a plurality of coil springs permanently connected to form a spring unit.

'Heretofora it has been customary to provide such spring units with rim wires defining the margins of the unit. The unit is thus stiifened against exure in the plane of the unit and must vbe made closely to size, to iit thefparticular fabric envelope in which it is to be inserted. The envelopes are made cf different sizes and particularly in the case of cushions for seats and chairs many dierent sizes must be provided which may vary by a small amount one from another. As a result, operators who place the spring units .in the envelopes frequently crowd into an envelope a unit that is a size too large therefor, with the result that the unit buckles and provides an uneven cushion surface.

It is an object of our invention to overcome this 'diiliculty by providing a spring unit which is flexible in the planev ofj the unit, so that buckling will not result if the unit is placed in an envelope of smaller dimensions than the normal dimensions of said unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide,

dispensed with and the unit is bordered by coil,

springs which are individually laterally compressible. An advantage of this construction is 40 that the/units do not have to be made in as many.

sizes as has heretofore been necessary, because the unit may be compressed to a considerable extent in width or length or both, to iit diiferent sizes ofl envelopes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spring unit in which the coil springs are clipped to connecting wires, Ibut the wires lie within and not exterior to the unit. v

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following description of an embodiment of our invention and a modification thereof and thereafter the novelty and scope of the invention will be pointed out )in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing: 5 5 Figure 1 isa plan view of a spring cushion lor 12, as the case may be.

with the envelope partly torn away to show our spring unit;

Fig. 2 is a view in section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isa detail View in perspective of the (iI means for clipping two spring coils to a connecting wire;

Fig. 4is a view in section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; 'and- 1 Fig. 5 is a fragmental plan view of a modied e5 form of spring unit. /v

In the drawing, we show a plurality of openend coil springs 10. By open-end, we mean that the extremities of each spring are not afxed to another part c'f the same spring. The 70 springs are preferably of the hour glass shape, but while the Ashape is preferred for reasonsl which will be given hereinafter, our invention is g J not limited .to the use of' hour-glass springs.V

, As shown in Fig. 1, the springs are arranged in horizontal rows A and B with a tie wire 11 l between each pair of rows to which^ the adjacent upper end coils cf the springs are clipped. Similar'tie wires 12 are provided to which the lower end coils of the springs are clipped. We prefer to use the type of clip shown in Figs. 3 and 4, wherein each clip consists of a strip of metal 13 which is wrapped about adjacent portions of two springs 10 and an-intervening tie wire 11 The clip is then in- 95 dented, as indicated at 14, such indentation extending into and fixing the'clip rigidly to the connecting Awire and one ,of the spring portions embraced by the clip. However, the othervspring portion is free to turn in the clip.. Thus, each connecting wire has hinged connection with the row of springs on one side thereof and ilxed connection to the row of springs on the other side.

It is to be noted that the springs of each row are not directly connected to one another, but are-held in mutually spaced relation by the tie wires 11 and 12. The end coils of the springs in the rows A are each connected to said wires at two dlametrically opposite points, but those in the 10 two outer rows B are left free at their outer sides to serve as cushioning margins for opposite sides l of the spring unit. Similar cushioning margins for the opposite ends of the unit are provided by two transverse rows of springsC which are clipped at the top and bottom to the end coils of the ows\ A, with a transverse tie` wire 1'5 interveningtherebetween. The tie wires 15 serve not only to maintain the springs of rows C in mutually spaced relation but also tie the rows A together. Each corner i of the spring unit is lled by an individual coil spring D whose end coils are clipped to adjacent coils of the rows E and C. aPreferably clips of the type shown in Figs. 3 and e are used throughout the spring unit and in order to preserve uniformity or spacing, short pieces of wire '16 are interposed between the spring parts in the clips that connect the springs D to the rest of the unit.

Preferably, the marginal springs are also or" the open end type and are connected to the tie wires at their free flexible extremities. The only creep tions being the corner springs E which are con= nected to two adjacent springs in rows B and C respectively.

The spring unity thus formed is inserted in an envelope i8 lined with suitable padding 19. lf desired, the padding may bear directly on the springs without any intermediate fabric lining, and also if so desired the padding may be omitted from the underside of the cushion, as in Fig. 2. Preferably, the normal unsprung width of the spring unit is wider than the envelope so that when the unit is inserted in the envelope the marginal rows of springs will be compressed as illustrated in Fig. 1. This will place the envelope under tension, holding the top of the envelope smooth and taut. Since the springs in the marginal rows are individually attached to the unit at one lside only they are capable of being compressed later-u ally to a considerable extent without buckling the unit, so as to t into envelopes varying considerl ably in both width, and length and the individual marginal springs will take up any local unevennesses in the cushion. Preferably the marginal springs should not be compressed to such an extent that their coils will clash against coils of springs in the rows A. li hour-glass springs are used therewill be no danger of clashing/'even when the marginal springs are greatly compressed laterally, and :for this reason hour-g1ass springs are preferable to cylindrical springs.

Obviously, it is not necessary to provide Gushioning margins on all four sides oi the unit. Such l margins may be provided only on one side, or on 'lli one side and one end, or in any other combination desired. As long as one of the margins is resiliently flex'ble it may be used to keep-the envelope taut. The other margins will then be defined by outer tie-wires which will serve as rim wires. Such a construction is indicated in Fig. 5, wherein the tie wire 15 is shown at the outer margin of the unit and there is no cushioning row connected to said wire l5, so that the latter then serves as a rim wire.

Having thus described our invention what we pesares claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Fate ent is as follows:

l. A spring unit for a mattress or cushioncomprising a plurality of rows o coil springs, tie-wires intervening between said rows, means permanently connecting each tie-wire to the springs adjacent thereto, transverse tie-wires, and means permanently connecting adjacent end springs of successive ,rows thereto, the springs in certain marginal rows of the unit being free at their outer side and individually compressible in the plane of the unit.

v 2. A spring unit for a mattress or cushion, comso 'y prising a plurality of rows of spaced coil springer.l

tie-wires" intervening between the rows, a clip connecting each tie-wire tof the springs on opposite sides thereof, each clip being iixed to the tie=wire and a spring onone side'thereo and providing hinged connection with the spring on the other side of the wire, and transversetie-wires clipped to the end springs ofA all the rows except the outer rows, the springs of the latter rows being free at their outer side.

3. A spring unit for a mattress or cushion, comprising a plurality of rows of spaced coil springs, tie-wires intervening between the rows, a clip connectingeach tie-wire'to the springs on oppo-1 site sides thereof, each clip being xed to the tiewire and a spring on one side thereof and providing hinged connection with the spring on the other side of the wire, transverse tie-wires clipped to the endsprings of all the rows except the outer rows, and a transverse row of springs clipped to one of the transverse wires, the springs of said outer two rows and of saidtransverse row being free at their outer side.

d. A spring unit for a mattress or cushion, comprising a plurality oirows of spaced coil springs, longitudinal tie-wires intervening between the rows, a clip connecting each tie-wire to the springs on opposite sides thereof,.each clip being fixed to the tie-wire 'and a spring on one side thereof and providing hinged connection with the spring on the other side of the wire, transverse tie-wires clipped to the end springs of all the rows except the two outer longitudinal rows, a transverse row of springs clipped to one of the transverse wires, the springs of said 'outer two rows and of said transverse row being free at their outer side, and

a corner spring at each end of the transverse row, each corner spring being clipped to the adjacent end springs of an outer longitudinal row and the transverse row.

DAVD T. OWEN. CHARLES DIETRICH. 

